How to download all of my Outlook emails in bulk from an Outlook Acct I am closing to store locally on MacBook Air under different, personal Outlook Acct

VMM 0 Reputation points
2026-07-02T12:34:33.5233333+00:00

I am leaving employment to retire. I have a work MS Account and a personal MS Account - but my personal (free version) doesn't have the Outlook email feature. (I have the Outlook for Mac downloaded onto my personal laptop but the log-in has to be via my work's enterprise agreement work-account.) Issue Number 1: There are many emails (they aren't associated with 'intellectual property' issues) and attached documents that I want to keep locally on my own personal Macbook. My employer has no problem with my doing this but only has IT support-staff who are trained in Windows/PCs so they can't assist me as they aren't trained in regard to Mac Operating Systems (they kept advising re exporting '.pst files' which I now believe aren't compatible with Macs). Issue Number 2: I also have Word documents and PowerPoints stored in the work's OneDrive that I have created and saved while logged in under my 'enterprise agreement' log-in. I am hoping that I can save 'in bulk' my Word docs and PPTs that sit under my enterprise log-in to my personal MacBook Air. What is the easiest way to move and save many items at once for both Issue 1 and for Issue 2 (I have worked for this organisation for decades, so 'many' items)? Regarding emails and attachments, ideally I want to export them from Outlook and save them just on my Mac (I currently store my data in my personal iCloud storage subscription). However, I think the .OLM files that I have exported from my work email Acct can't be stored as 'data' on my personal cloud-storage account (I can't open and read these .olm files on my Mac)... I think that this is a proprietary issue with Microsoft and these /olm files can only be 'migrated' back into a paid Outlook email Acct to be viewed. Is this correct? If so, I see that if I buy a personal MS subscription I can get Outlook for Mac, however, I don't want to do this if I am not confident that I am able to save, export and migrate bulk emails and attachments from my work Acct and migrate them seamlessly so they can be accessed via a new, paid, personal MS 365 Acct. Thanking in advance anyone with successful experience in regard to completing either of these issues who has the time to share 'how to' tips (I have trawled the internet and have had no success, so hoping to hear from users who have had this same experience).

Outlook | MacOS | Legacy Outlook for Mac | For business
0 comments

1 answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Killian N 3,815 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-07-02T13:15:59.8933333+00:00

    Hi @VMM   

    I'm pleased to confirm that it should be possible to retain both your emails and your OneDrive documents before your work account is deactivated. 

    1. Retaining Outlook emails and attachments 

    For Outlook on Mac, the recommended export format is.OLM. An OLM file contains your email messages, folders, attachments, contacts, calendar items, and other Outlook data. The file can be stored anywhere you choose, including iCloud Drive, an external hard drive, or local storage on your Mac.  

    One point that often causes confusion is that OLM files cannot be viewed directly in Finder like normal documents. This does not mean they are tied to your work account or Microsoft's cloud services. Rather, they are archive files designed to be imported into Outlook for Mac when needed.  

    If you decide to purchase Microsoft 365 Personal in the future, Outlook for Mac can import your exported OLM archive, allowing you to access your historical emails and attachments independently of your former work account. Imported content is stored within Outlook under "On My Computer." 

    Important retirement warning: 

    • Do not wait until your employer disables your account. 
    • Once the Exchange mailbox is deleted, recovery is often difficult or impossible unless you've already exported the data. 

    For more information, please refer to the following link: Import email messages, contacts, and other items into Outlook for Mac 

    2. Retaining word, PowerPoint, and other OneDrive files 

    For the files stored in your work OneDrive, you have two practical options: 

    • Download folders directly from the OneDrive website. OneDrive supports downloading multiple files and folders, typically as ZIP archives. 
    • Use the OneDrive sync client on your Mac to synchronize your entire OneDrive library locally. Once all files have downloaded, you can copy them to iCloud Drive, an external drive, or another location on your Mac for permanent storage. This is generally the easiest approach when dealing with many years' worth of files 

    Additional details are available at the link below: 

    Please note that this information is shared solely for your convenience. The referenced sites are not managed or maintained by independent advisors, and therefore I cannot guarantee the accuracy, security, or suitability of any software or content available on those sites. I recommend reviewing all information carefully and ensuring you fully understand any potential risks before following suggestions from the provided links.

    Recommended approach before your account is closed 

    • Export your Outlook mailbox to one or more OLM files. 
    • Save at least two backup copies (for example, iCloud Drive and an external drive). 
    • Download or sync all OneDrive content to your Mac. 
    • Verify that your files open correctly from their new location. 
    • If you plan to continue using Outlook, purchase Microsoft 365 Personal and import the OLM archive before disposing of any backups. 

    Please ensure that all exports and downloads are completed before your employer disables your Microsoft 365 account. Once the mailbox and OneDrive access are removed, recovering data may be difficult or impossible. 

    I hope this helps clarify the process and provides some reassurance that both your emails and documents can be preserved successfully. Additionally, as other users have raised similar concerns and may not be aware of where to share their feedback, I hope this response helps clarify the situation and suggests a potential next step. Highlighting this information can make it more visible to others in the community who may be facing the same issue, making it easier for them to find guidance and contribute their feedback as well. 

    Thank you again for your time and for raising this important usability concern. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

    I look forward to your thoughts on this. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".      

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.